Prayer Is the Work

The Bible uses the word saved a lot. It’s a word that has fallen out of fashion a bit, but actually it’s the perfect word to describe what it means to be a Christian.

It’s a dramatic word, one that we might find in a newspaper article about a firefighter who rushed into a burning building and saved someone. Or, we might use it to describe a lifeguard who swam out and rescued a person who was about to drown.

There was a time when churches would display big signs with the words “Jesus saves.” I love that because it’s so true.

That is exactly what Jesus does.

According to the Bible, we are either saved or lost. We are either born again or spiritually dead. We are either headed to Heaven or to Hell. I know that isn’t politically correct to say today, but it’s biblically correct. And nothing has changed in the Bible.

We want to make sure that we are saved, and we want to do everything we can to help others know how to be saved as well. In Romans 10, the apostle Paul tells us how we are saved. And he also tells us that we should care enough so that others can be saved as well.

When we’re thinking of sharing our faith, we usually think about how we should start the conversation. But the first thing we should do before we talk to someone about Jesus is pray for them.

And what do we pray? We ask the Lord to open their spiritual eyes and pray that God would soften their hearts. We pray they would be receptive to the message we are about to bring. Yet we don’t simply pray before we work. Prayer is the work. And then God works.

If you want to see people saved, it starts with prayer.